TPR Young Guns on Top

Three Tarantula Performance Racing sponsored youth racers are currently sitting in the top three in points in their respective classes in the national motocross and dirt track ATV series.

Six-year-old Trevor Thatcher of Swanton, Ohio, is currently leading the points race in the 70cc production class in the 2009 Duro Extreme Dirt Track ATVA Nationals. Thatcher is leading after taking the overall class win at the first two rounds.

Thatcher powers through a corner on his flat-track prepped TPR/Fierce Powersports DRX ATV.

Thatcher also is leading a local series on his Fierce Powersports/TPR DRR DRX 50 and 70cc quads. In the OMI Outlaw series, Thatcher is in first place in the 50cc stock, 70cc stock, 70cc production and 51-90cc modified classes.

At the motocross nationals, two young TPR riders are in contention for class championships as the series begins to wind down.

Seven-year-old Hunter Skladzien, of Wadsworth, Ohio, is currently third in points in the 70cc CVT class in the ITP/Moose Racing AMA ATV Motocross Nationals. Skladzien took the overall at the start of the amateur season at the Mill Creek Spring Nationals in Pell City, Ala., in March on his ATV Four Play/TPR DRR DRX 70.

Skladzien hammers it past the starting gate at Unadilla.

Hunter has battled an arm injury for several rounds, but he remains just nine points behind second place and 16 points back from first with three rounds left to go in the series.

Anderson, Ind., youth racer Caston McConnell sits in third in the 90cc CVT class in the AMA ATV Motocross Nationals. McConnell took the overall at the fourth round race at Sunset Ridge in Walnut, Ill., and finished second overall at the second round race at Balance Moto X in Bowling Green, Ky., on his ATV Four Play/TPR DRR DRX 90.

McConnell blasts a berm at Unadilla.

All three riders are running TPR’s Race Safe front bumper and grab bar, which are designed to reduce the risk of serious injury to a rider during a crash. Both McConnell and Thatcher also run TPR’s Race Safe nerf bars, which help protect a rider’s lower body from competitors’ wheels while improving their grip on the quad.